The Sea By Moonlight
by Dolphin-chick
Summary: Sequel to The Dangers of Truth or Dare (technically, it's a sequel to Suzaku no Senshi, but it's not written yet), but could just as easily come after Celestial Atlantis. Chaos returns and Sailor Antares' past is revealed. Short shoujo-ai warning
1. Default Chapter

The Sea by Moonlight by Dolphin-chick  
  
Prologue  
  
"Antares, go now!" Sailor Polaris said, nudging the youngest Cosmic Senshi towards the ruins of a once beautiful castle.  
  
"But Polaris, I..."  
  
"GO!"  
  
The 11-year-old Sailor Antares looked up at the older senshi, tears brimming over her eyes. She clutched to the misnight blue collar of her superior.  
  
"Don't worry," Polaris said gently, "we'll be right behind you. The course is already set; you'll be on Earth's moon and we'll meet up with you there. Queen Serenity is a very kind woman. Here-" Polaris picked up Antares' Time-Space Key. "I meant to give you this earlier, but with Chaos coming..." Polaris produced a jeweled star from a barely visible pocket in her skirt and put it between the two points of the crescent moon on the Key. "When the star begins to glow, you'll know we're near."  
  
Antares nodded, gave Polaris a tight hug, and waved goodbye to the other senshi, confident she would see them again. She climbed into the small space craft waiting near the castle. Pressing a series of buttons, she turned the vessel on. The machine hissed as sleeping gas, used to slow metabolism for long trips, poured into the chamber. Antares fought sleepiness, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her home planet as the craft sped toward a faraway solar system and a new future.  
  
What she saw would haunt her dreams and nightmares for millenia.  
  
Chaos had already approached when she was on the planet. Now, the formless dark mass nearly engulf it entirely. In a sudden burst of light, the giant orb exploded, smashing the fleeing ships of the few who were still left alive with debris. Antares' eyes widened and tears streamed down her face shamelessly as she screamed and shook, finally collapsing as the sleeping gas won over her conciousness.   
  
Chapter 1  
  
The Sea by Moonlight by Dolphin-chick   
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Pisces!!! Give that BACK!!!" Sailor Gemini chased Sailor Pisces through the Moon Kingdom Palace hallways. Pisces had stolen Gemini's small stuffed rabbit and was waving it around her head.  
  
"Cut that out you two. Pisces, give Gemini her rabbit back," Antares said as she walked down the hall in the opposite direction. She had just come from the library and was headed towards her post at the Space-Time Gates, a large book in hand and the Space-Time Key in the other.   
  
When she got to the Gates, she pulled out her cushioned chair (since she couldn't stand up for long periods of time like Sailor Pluto), and waved to Pluto, who could be seen, though barely at the other end of the building, sat down and began to read. Not long afterwards, Pluto approached her. "Neo Queen Lady Serenity just summoned me. I'll be right back, could you keep an eye on things?"  
  
"Sure," Antares said smiling and went back to reading.  
  
"Ohayou gozaimas, Antares-san!"   
  
"What the hell?!? Who said that?!?" Antares jumped up, grabbing her Key and pointing it in the direction of the voice.  
  
"Hello!" A smiling apparition took form in front of the Key.  
  
"AAAAHHH!!! What the hell?!?"  
  
"Don't tell me you don't remember who I am."  
  
"Souta..?"  
  
The apparition smiled, "Hai!"  
  
Antares stared for a while, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide, until she suddenly thrust the Key into him.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Holy… you're a ghost!"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Antares pulled the Key away from him and to her side. "So, um… how have you been?"  
  
"OK, I guess," Souta said as he 'leaned' against one of the columns. "It gets kind of boring. There isn't much to do when no one sees you. It gets lonely."  
  
"I suppose. How come you don't go right through that column?"  
  
"Because I don't want to. I can go through walls and all that, but I have to think about it consciously."  
  
"I see. Your English is getting better."  
  
He laughed lightly. "I've been listening to you guys for well over a year now. I was bound to learn something. How has Sailor Virgo been doing?" He smiled warmly at the thought of her.  
  
"Oh um… she's been OK." Antares didn't want to mention the fact that Virgo seemed to be over him. She didn't think Souta would be too fond of unrequited love. "What made you want to re-appear?"  
  
"I had a feeling I should, I guess. I don't really know."  
  
"Hmm…" Antares fell silent for a while. Suddenly she picked up the Key and began jabbing Souta with it. "Hey, does this hurt?" she asked as she poked him in the stomach.  
  
"ACK! Cut that out, it tingles!"  
  
"SOUTA?!?" Pluto had come back, and was now standing in the hallway. The expression on her face screamed disbelief, and her mouth opened and closed as she tried to speak. Souta smiled and waved.  
  
"Uh… eh… Antares," Pluto said as she began to think coherently, never taking her eyes off of Souta, "Neo Queen Lady Serenity wishes to speak to you."  
  
"OK," Antares said jovially and sped off in the direction of the throne room. She could hear Pluto talking to Souta as she left.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"You wanted to see me?" Antares asked as she kneeled before the Queen.  
  
"Yes, come here please." Neo Queen Lady Serenity got up from her throne and walked to a large screen on the opposite wall. Pressing a button, the screen lit up with an image of outer space. "Do you know what this is?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, it's our solar system," Antares answered.  
  
"Correct, but look at this," the Queen pressed a series of buttons and centered in on an area just outside the solar system. "None of the Sailor Senshi nor I know what this is," she said, indicating a large dark mass. "I have not troubled the Zodiac Senshi with it; they are too young to have an idea of what it could be. However, my mother, Neo Queen Serenity, says it resembles Chaos; but that's impossible, Chaos was destroyed thousands of years ago by my mother herself."  
  
Antares noticed the similarity as well. It couldn't possibly be Chaos, but the resemblance was so exact…  
  
"As our strongest ally," the Queen continued, "and the only surviving member of the powerful Cosmic Senshi, I want you on the highest alert. You looked stressed; why don't you take a break for a while?"  
  
Antares nodded. With a quick bow to the Queen, she left the throne room and went to her own quarters. Tossing the Key on her bed, she changed from her Senshi uniform into a bathrobe and went downstairs to the palace's natural hot spring. Thinking twice, she decided to make a stop at the kitchen to grab a few sweets first.  
  
As soon as she left, the star on the Time-Space Key began to glow. 


	2. 

Chapter 2  
  
Antares waded her way through the hot spring, wrinkling her nose at the sulfuric stench. A few stray cherry blossoms had fallen in; the gardeners always managed to keep the cheery trees that lined the small spring in full bloom. Antares was pondering this when her peaceful reverie was broken.  
  
"BONZAIIII!!!" SPLASH!  
  
Antares shrieked, startled by the sudden intrusion. Sailor Libra popped out of the water. She swam over to a rock in the middle of the spring, her large, waterlogged wings sagging behind her and weighing her down. "Damn, it's hot," she complained, pulling a fine-toothed comb out of the side of her swimsuit shorts.   
  
"Of course it's hot, it's a hot spring. They call it that for a reason," Antares commented back. She was annoyed at having her bath so rudely disturbed. "What are you doing anyway?"  
  
"Preening," Libra answered simply, brushing out the feathers of her wings one by one.   
  
"Do you have to do that here?" Antares watched as Libra absently pulled out loose feathers, setting them in a pile.  
  
"I'm molting; the Queen hates it when there's feathers all over the palace. They don't float around when there wet. And besides I think I have a mild case of bird lice."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Hm? Oh, it's a common affliction. I probably picked up in the avery1. They're like people lice, only on birds. Hot water kills 'em," Libra stated as if it was a well-known fact. That said, she leapt into the water flapping her wings and splashing everywhere.  
  
"ACK!" Cut that out!" Antares screamed. Knowing it was probably a useless cause anyway, she climbed out of the spring and threw on her bathrobe, praying she didn't have bird lice.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"There it is," said the dark shadow near the immense window. Her index finger was against the glass, indicating Earth's white moon.   
  
"So Polaris, do you think Antares is still there?" a small, lavender haired woman asked.  
  
The figure by the window turned abruptly, her knee-length light blue hair swirling around her. Her outfit was similar to the other four women's; the Cosmic Senshi uniform hardly varied from soldier to soldier. She wore a white midriff top, with a sailor collar spangled in diamonds and a silver bow with a prismatic eight-point star in the middle. On her arms and hands were two black gloves with a strip of silver wrapped around the wrist and dipped down near the knuckle, held with a five-point star. The tiara was a skinny band of silver, crossing the middle of the forehead in a straight line, with a tear shaped, mother of pearl gem. Her boots were high, above the knee. The top formed a V-shape, lined with another strip of silver and decorated in the middle with another eight-point star. She also had a pleated skirt, which, liked the collar glistened with tiny diamonds. The only difference between each Senshi's outfit was the color of the skirt and collar. Polaris wore midnight blue, Cappella wore lavender, Altair had violet, Vega's was deep red and Canopus wore light green.  
  
"No, Cappella, I don't," Polaris answered.  
  
"What?! Then why are we going there?"  
  
"I don't -think- Antares is in the Moon Kingdom. I -know- she is."  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
knock knock knock  
  
"Yes?" Neo Queen Lady Serenity opened the door to her bedroom. "Ah, Sailor Antares, what is it?"  
  
Antares bowed to the Queen. "I've been monitoring the dark mass as you've requested. It appears to be moving into the solar system now. If it continues on its present course, it will meet with the Moon in a matter of a week."  
  
The Queen looked a bit nervous. "Very well the," she said. "I'll sent the Outer Sailor Senshi to investigate." She turned to her husband. "Helios, would you please call my mother and request she send the Outer Senshi here to the Moon Kingdom?" King Helios, who had been sitting nearby and listening intently, nodded and left the room to call Neo Queen Serenity.  
  
"Ma'am, I must protest. I am significantly stronger than the Sailor Senshi, and if this mass proves to be a malignant force, it would be much easier for me to control it," Antares said.  
  
"This is true. However, if this force is evil and does defeat the Sailor Senshi, we'll need you here to protect us. You are one of the Cosmic Senshi; of course you are powerful. And intelligent. The people of your planet always were."  
  
"True, Atlantis was a beautiful place. There was a small band of survivors, you know. They followed me, I think, and made a city on Earth. But they're gone now..."  
  
"Antares, you came to us from another galaxy. My mother remembers it well. She was only three years old then, but she remembers. You have the power to train the Zodiac Senshi to be nearly as powerful as the Cosmic Senshi. I have no doubt that, as a Cosmic Senshi, you could've easily defeated Galaxia. Look at what happened to Queen Ceres. Do you think any of the Sailor Senshi could've even hoped to do that? Or the Star Senshi? The Animates? No, it took a Cosmic Senshi. If ever any soldier of this galaxy were to fail, you would be the one chance at redemption."  
  
"The power of the Cosmic couldn't save Atlantis."  
  
"The force that destroyed your planet was a hundred times stronger than Chaos. You tried."  
  
"But it wasn't enough."  
  
"It was. You tried and that's what matters. A lesser soldier would've cowered where you stood strong."  
  
"..."  
  
The Queen smiled softly. "Get some rest. The Outer Senshi will be here tomorrow and we don't want to disappoint our guests, do we?"  
  
"No ma'am" Antares bowed and left the room.  
  
The Queen sat on her bed. "I can only pray that this dark force isn't that which destroyed Atlantis."  
  
1. An aviary is a place where a collection of birds are kept. 


	3. 

Chapter 3  
  
"Got any fives Aries?"  
  
"Nope, go fish."  
  
Sailors Aries, Capricorn, Virgo and Cancer all sat around Antares' mah jong table, the game's tiles lying in a bag at Aries' feet. Instead of mah jong of Go Fish was in full swing. In the middle of the table was a pile of Sweetarts, Twizzlers, M & Ms, Skittles and other assorted candies.  
  
"Virgo, you have any... aces?" Aries asked. Virgo grumbled something about 'stupid rams'1 and reluctantly handed over two aces.   
  
Neo Queen Lady Mistress Serenity, commonly known as Lima Bean, wandered into the corner of the vast art gallery in which the game was being played. "You know," she started, "if my mom finds you guys gambling like this, we're all in trouble."  
  
"Wanna play?" Capricorn asked.  
  
Lima Bean threw a bag of Hershey Kisses on the table. "Deal me in."  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"Small Lady, Neo Queen Serenity said you called for us?" Sailor Pluto said, kneeling before the Queen.  
  
"Pluto! I'm so glad you came! I know you just left here yesterday. I'm sorry to have interrupted you," the Queen exclaimed happily, embracing her friend.  
  
"It's alright, really! I heard you had some matters that needed attending?"  
  
"Yes. Are the other Outer Senshi here?"  
  
"Of course!" Pluto turned around to the open doorway and called, "Uranus, Neptune, Saturn! The Queen requests your presence!"  
  
The Outer Senshi filed in and the Queen turned on the projector, displaying the image of the Dark Mass (as it had now been named); it had sped up considerably over the night and though it was now travelling at a slow pace, it was maneuvering through the Asteroid Belt.   
  
"As you can see," the Queen explained, "the Dark Mass has come closer, and at an unexpected speed. I need you four to deter it. Last night it was outside the solar system and I had hoped we could scare it off, but it appears quite determined."  
  
"Will Sailor Antares be coming with us?" Saturn asked hopefully.  
  
"No, she may be needed here. I think we've begun to depend on her power as a Cosmic Senshi too much since her awakening."  
  
"Very well," Uranus said. "We can do it on our own. When do we leave?"  
  
The Queen glanced at the projector nervously. "As soon as possible."  
  
"Alright then everyone, let's go!" Neptune said. The four joined in a circle and began the teleport. In a sudden flash, they were gone.  
  
"Good luck," the Queen whispered.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"How's the bird lice problem?" Sailor Scorpio asked She sat down on the edge of the Moon Kingdom garden's gigantic fountain, which was also Sailor Libra's favorite napping spot.   
  
"Antares told you, huh?" Libra asked through a yawn. Still lying down she stretched out her arms, legs and wings with the intention of getting up; then she thought better of it and wrapped one wing around her balled up form, effectively blocking out all light.   
  
"Not really," Scorpio answered, "but I could hear her complaining about it as she went upstairs yesterday. Considering you're the only one with feathered wings..." She trailed off, absently indicating the large gossamer fins on her back in relation to Libra's large white wings.  
  
"Oh, well, I think I got rid of them."  
  
"That's good.'  
  
"Mmm hmm..." Libra was dozing off again.  
  
Sagittarius appeared at the second floor balcony. "DINNER!" she yelled; every bird in the garden scattered. Libra groaned as Scorpio pulled her to her feet.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"Here we go!" Uranus said. The Dark Mass was straight ahead.  
  
Further inspection proved the Mass was fairly penetrable1. At the heart of it was a space craft of sorts. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced the darkness and hit the teleport bubble2, pulling it into the ship.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"Aah... where..?" Sailor Uranus shakily stood up. Looking around, she noticed that not only where her fellow soldiers waking up, but they were now onboard the ship.  
  
"Welcome aboard the 'Deus ex Machina3'," Polaris stepped out of the shadows nearby.  
  
"Y-you're... Sailor..." Uranus stuttered awestruck.  
  
"Sailor Polaris of the Cosmic Senshi," Polaris finished. The other four Cosmic Senshi walked into the room and settled two on either side of Polaris. Cappella stood smirking, flipping her wavy lavender hair in a way that rivaled Neptune's technique. Her violet eyes flashed with something akin to mockery. Altair stood between her and Polaris; her hair was black, corn-rowed down her back and reaching the top of her skirt. Her eyes were equally black, indifferent to her surroundings, and her golden-brown skin contrasted slightly with her violet uniform. On the other side of Polaris was Vega. Vega was notoriously aggressive, and the feeling of it radiated in the air around her. Her brown hair was cropped short and brown eyes watched Uranus critically. Canopus was on the end; her light brown hair was kept in a ponytail and her green eyed dashed nervously across the room.  
  
By now, all the Outer Senshi were on their feet. "My god!" Pluto exclaimed. "You're the Cosmic Senshi! You're alive! You're alive! We thought- Oh, Antares will be so happy!" She grabbed the other Senshi and ushered them into a circle, preparing to teleport. "We'll go tell her now! She'll be overjoyed!" In a flash, one excited Pluto and three other mildly confused Outer Senshi were gone, already on their way to the Moon Kingdom.   
  
The cosmic Senshi stood around nervously, awaiting Polaris' next action. In their haste, the Outers had failed to notice thin silver bracelets of bondage4 on each Cosmic Senshi. Polaris smiled, looking down at the ground. "You've confirmed my suspicions as to Antares' whereabouts. There's no need for a welcoming committee." She raised her arm, her hand out in a relaxed position. "Shooting..." She looked up and grinned wildly. "STAR!" A ball of light appeared over and launched off of Polaris' hand, going through the ship and the Dark Mass, all the while growing larger until it smashed into the Outer Senshi in transit, miles away5.  
  
1.Shut up you hentais!  
2.Y'know, that bubble-y thing around them when they teleport.  
3. Literally "God Machine". Used in Greek Theater to raise actors portraying a god.  
4. Again with the hentai minds. Those who have seen the Stars season should know about this.  
5. Powerful, ain't they? ^_^ 


	4. 

Chapter 4  
  
Sailor Antares sat at the foot of the Queen's throne, resting half on the front of the huge chair, and half on the Queen's right leg. "Have we heard from the Outer Senshi yet?" Antares asked.   
  
"No, nothing yet." The Queen was weary and it showed in her actions. She hadn't stopped worrying since the first appearance of the Dark Mass.  
  
The two fell into silence again, until Antares spoke up. "Perhaps... maybe I should tell the Zodiac Senshi of my origins? They still think I'm one of them and even you don't know the full story. It might take your mind off of things."  
  
"Perhaps... yes, I think you should. Do you want me to call them?"  
  
"Yes, and the Inner Senshi too, if it isn't too much trouble."  
  
"Not at all. I'll be right back." Antares shifted her weight as the Queen got up to call the others.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"So Antares, why are we here?" Sailor Taurus asked. The Zodiac Senshi, Lima Bean, and the Inner Senshi had all herded into the spacious throne room. They were all seated, for the most part, and some had begun lounging on their comrades.  
  
"For a story," Antares replied. The girls were confused, and voiced this emotion, but Antares disregarded it.   
  
"Once upon a time," she began, "there was a girl named LiHong. LiHong lived on the beautiful planet of Atlantis in a nearby galaxy. She was chosen by Destiny to be a soldier defending love and justice. Fate named her after her birth star, a custom among the Atlantean soldiers. And so she was called Sailor Antares."  
  
This had gotten everyone's attention. All were listening intently.   
  
"Sailor Antares became one of her solar system's elite guards, the Cosmic Senshi. She was one of six soldiers named after distant birth stars. There was Polaris, the leader, Canopus, Altair, Cappella and Vega. Antares was welcomed warmly and the Cosmic Senshi became her family.  
  
"Whenever Evil came and tried to overthrow the Good, the Cosmic Senshi defended their people, and became very powerful. Soon, they were the most powerful Senshi faction in the galaxy, and no Evil dare threaten them. While the Sailor Senshi and other factions were fighting the Sailor Wars in the Milky Way, the Cosmic and the people they protected enjoyed peace and prosperity.  
  
"One day, without warning, an Evil Force attacked their galaxy. The Cosmic Senshi left Atlantis to help fight this New Evil. However, the New Evil was strong, and the Cosmic Senshi fell back, until only Atlantis was left to protect.   
  
"The Cosmic fought hard, as hard as they could, but it was a losing battle. Polaris ordered Antares to take the last ship and escape to the Moon Kingdom, a place similar to Atlantis but far away. Reluctantly, with the promise that the Cosmic would return for her, Antares left.  
  
"The Evil won over the Senshi mere seconds later, and Antares watched as the planet, her home, exploded. Only Antares and a small ship of five survivors remained. Eventually, Antares reached to Moon Kingdom and the survivors went to Earth. They would later meet with humans and begin a new civilization.  
  
"Antares' arrival had been foretold in Moon Kingdom legend. According to the legend, she was to be kept in a deep sleep, and would awaken in the Time of Great Need to revive the Zodiac Senshi, those of the Twelve Pure Hearts." Antares paused for a while. "That's my story; you know the rest. The force that took Atlantis was a more powerful counterpart of Chaos. Every galaxy has its own version of Chaos, and they vary in power. The New Evil, as we called it, is considered by most to be the most powerful, and has since spawned versions of itself into other galaxies. It still exists today."  
  
All the girls sat in silence for a while. The Queen spoke up, "I suppose I should tell you this. There has been a Dark Mass approaching the Moon at a rapid pace. It will arrive soon. I sent the Outer Senshi to investigate, but they have not returned-"  
  
The Queen was cut off by Antares' sharp scream. The Space-Time Key clattered to the floor.  
  
The star on the Key was glowing again. 


	5. 

Chapter 5  
  
"Nnn..." Sailor Uranus held her head as she slowly sat up.  
  
"I see you're awake," Sailor Neptune said. She sat, her legs crossed, near a large window. Her head rested on the wall, her left temple touching the thick glass of the windowpane. As she stared wistfully out to the moon.   
  
"What happened?" Uranus asked. Dully, she noticed that Saturn and Pluto were still passed out on the cold metallic floor.  
  
"I'm not entirely sure," Neptune answered after a short silence, "but I'd be lying if I said I've ruled out the possibility of having been attacked."  
  
"By the Cosmic Senshi?"  
  
This time, Neptune remained silent. Uranus decided to let the matter drop, instead letting her gaze wander to the moon with Neptune's.  
  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Neptune whispered.  
  
"What is?"  
  
"The moon. Just looking at it reminds me of a giant pearl on velvet surrounded by diamonds."  
  
Uranus chuckled lightly. "So poetic."  
  
"You don't like the moon in space?"  
  
"No, I do. But I much prefer the sea by moonlight." Uranus reached over and swept a lock of Neptune's hair behind her ear. "It's always so beautiful; the giant pearl hung over never-ending sapphire." Uranus was inching closer to her lover, who was developing a slight blush. "Men have gazed out to the sea at night for ages, wondering what lay beyond the horizon of their vision. Heaven? Hell? Maybe the very ends of the Earth. Whatever it was, there has always been a mysterious irresistible something about the white moonlight kissing the surface of the indigo sea..." Uranus leaned over fully and kissed Neptune softly.  
  
"Now who's being poetic?" Neptune teased. Uranus laughed quietly.  
  
"What do you think lies beyond the horizon?" Neptune asked.  
  
"Destiny. An uncertain future. But as long as it's with you I don't care what happens." Uranus rested her head on Neptune's chest. "I wonder, Michiru, does your heart beat in time with the sea?"  
  
"No. My heart is not that constant. I find it a bit more unpredictable, like the wind."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"You know," she answered coyly. "My heart beats not with the sea, but rather with the wind; my heart beats with yours."  
  
"And mine with the sea..." Uranus was dozing off, wrapped in Neptune's warm arms, and dreamed of the moonlit sea.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"Ne, Souta-kun, what's up?" Sailor Cancer sat on the railing of the balcony that Souta had been looking off of.   
  
"Nothing much. Things are pretty mundane when you're dead, I guess. How's Virgo been?"  
  
"OK."  
  
"Does she ever talk about me?"  
  
"Sometimes."  
  
Souta sighed. "There's nothing more painful than unrequited love, I think..."  
  
"What do you mean? She liked you."  
  
"Liked, exactly. I don't think it was anything more than lust on her side. Still..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I don't think I would've done what I did if I didn't love her, at least a little."  
  
"You've had a lot of time to think about this haven't you?"  
  
"Yeah, I have."  
  
"Souta?" Both Souta and Cancer turned around. Virgo stood just inside the palace in the doorway to the balcony. Cancer decided to leave the two alone and offered an excuse on her way out.  
  
"Souta..."  
  
"Virgo."  
  
"I... I think about you, you know."  
  
"I know."  
  
Virgo stood next to Souta, looking at the distant form of the Earth.   
  
"I wanted to talk to you." Souta continued after a long silence.  
  
"Really? Why?"  
  
Souta took a deep breath. "I-I wanted to say... I know you liked me, and I have to confess, I think I really loved you. I know you don't feel the same-"  
  
"Souta, I-"  
  
"-and that's alright. I thought I could've been something to you, and in a sense, I think I was. But your so much stronger than me, I'd only have been following in your shadow anyway. You don't really need me..."  
  
"That's not true!"  
  
"It is. I wanted you to know, before I leave."  
  
"Leave?"  
  
"Yeah, off to the great beyond, to where ever it is dead people go." Souta turned to Virgo.  
  
"Are you scared?" Virgo asked, facing him.  
  
"No, not really. Everyone dies sometime, there's no getting around it."  
  
"Libra liked you too, you know that?"  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"So this is it? This is goodbye?"  
  
"Mmhm. I'll miss you. Take care of yourself, I don't want you visiting anytime soon, ne? Live your life, don't worry about me." Souta leaned over and gently kissed Virgo's cheek. "I love you."  
  
Souta held Virgo's hand as his ghostly spirit dissipated into the sky.  
  
A small tear made its way down Virgo's face.  
  
"I love you too."  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"Is it still glowing?" Neo Queen Lady Serenity asked. Both she and Antares where still in the throne room. The Zodiac Senshi had been ushered out of the room in stunned confusion after Antares regained her composure.   
  
"Yes, it is. What about the Dark Mass?"  
  
"Visible from nearly every corner of the palace. It will be here tomorrow indefinitely. Do you think there's a correlation?"  
  
"Yes, and we'll find out tomorrow."  
  
"I have the Zodiac and Sailor Senshi on the highest alert."  
  
"Good. I think we'll need it." 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
"Antares?" The Queen stood anxiously at the foot of Antares' bed. Antares woke with a start. A quick glance at the clock on her nightstand revealed it to be five in the morning.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Antares replied.  
  
"The Dark Mass is clearly visible on the horizon. I need you to wake up the Zodiac Senshi and get them ready for whatever it is at the front gate. The Inner Senshi are already there."  
  
"Already on it." Antares flung herself out of bed, grabbing the still-glowing Time Space Key on her way out the door.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
By the time the full force of the Senshi had gathered, the Mass was upon them. The descending dark shadow cast an ominous gloom over the surrounding area and created a deafening din, as well as a tremendous gale, as it pushed the atmosphere away. "Steady yourselves girls," Antares yelled over the roar. "On your guard!"  
  
As if in slow motion, the Dark Mass came down from the sky, shedding heaps of black fog along the way. Soon all that was left was the glowing silver ship.  
  
Antares dropped the Key. "I-it can't be!"  
  
"What can't be?" Capricorn asked. The engines of the ship powered down and the area regain some semblance of normalcy as far as sound went.  
  
"The Deus ex Machina, the flagship of Atlantis!"  
  
The side hatch of the ship, still partially hidden by the fog that remained, opened and the shadows of Uranus, Neptune, Pluto and Saturn ran out. They ran as fast as they could, Uranus dragging Pluto and Saturn, to the rest of the Sailors.  
  
Five new shadows emerged at leisure. The last of the fog blew away in a short breeze, leaving the Cosmic to stand revealed. All the stress of the pat few days was forgotten as Antares ran, laughing and crying, to her adopted sisters. She latched excitedly onto Polaris.  
  
"You came back! You came back! I thought you left me forever!"  
  
"Stand back Antares!" Uranus yelled angrily. Antares turned her head in confusion to see Uranus shaking with fury.  
  
"World SHAKING!" Uranus poured every ounce of strength into the attack. Antares stumbled and fell backwards, completely off guard. The Cosmic nearly lost their footing, but stayed standing. "What was that?!" Antares demanded. She grabbed her Key from where she had dropped it earlier. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She growled through clenched teeth as she held the Key to Uranus' neck.  
  
Uranus backed up cautiously; even though Antares was the weakest of the Cosmic Senshi, she held more power in her little toe than Uranus could ever possess. However Uranus' aggressive nature didn't fail her. "They attacked us!" Uranus spat back, pointing accusingly at the Cosmic Senshi. "Where do you think we've been for the past twenty-four hours? Frolicking along merrily in the garden? We've been on their ship!"  
  
The Inner and Zodiac Senshi had no idea what to do about all of this, and stood in frightened and nervous silence as the two women argued bitterly.  
  
"I don't believe you! They'd never do that, never!" Antares screamed. "You're lying."  
  
"Yes, you're lying," Vega stated simply, as if she was talking about the weather. "Bad bad bad... Fallen METEOR!"  
  
Antares watched in horror as Vega flung a fireball at the opposing Senshi. The ground shook and there was a blast of light. A few unsuspecting soldiers were heaved into the air and when the dust cleared, a large crater held most of the girls within it.   
  
"Another pock mark to add to the face of the Moon!" Canopus chimed.  
  
Antares glanced at Polaris in shock. "W-why?"  
  
Polaris merely smirked. "Those who defy and attack those that are superior to them must face the consequences of their actions. Come Antares!" The Cosmic boarded the ship, tugging a reluctant Antares behind.  
  
~oO Oo~  
  
"How is everyone?" King Helios asked. It had been a week since the attack and Libra, Scorpio, Virgo and Aries had been summoned to the Throne Room. The Queen herself had lapsed into a deep depression and was now nothing but a former shell of herself. Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion were positive the fiasco would escalate into something far more sinister; they sent out notices to every Senshi faction they could think of, asking for alliances.  
  
"They're alright, doing better," Aries answered. All he girls, from Pluto on down to Chibi Scorpio, had bruises and cuts marring their skin.  
  
"If you don't mind," Helios started, "I'd like you all to take some time off and teach Lima Bean the ropes of combat. As the future queen of both the Moon Kingdom and Crystal Tokyo, she's expected to serve some time as Sailor Moon.  
  
"As for the Zodiac, as the leaders of your respective elements, I'd like you four to take command in Antares' absence."  
  
"Yes sir," they answered, just short of unison.  
  
"We have the Sailor Star and Animate Senshi coming in a week or so. The Amazons will be coming shortly after. We have our suspicions that the Cosmic are under the influence of the Dark Mass and Antares as well as the others must be rescued from it as soon as possible. What my wife feared will most definitely come to light..."  
  
"What the Queen feared..?" Scorpio wondered.  
  
"The Wars have erupted again." 


End file.
